A Wand For Your Thoughts
by jetterwetter
Summary: The war is finally over and everyone can go back to their normal lives. Or so they believe. Harry and all his friends have been asked to go back to Hogwarts to finish their education. There is something lying in wait for Harry back at the School of Withcraft and Wizardry. Voldemort may be long gone but is everyone still safe from the Dark Lord? Drarry.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hello! This is my first Harry Potter Fanfic ever and I really hope all of you lovely readers enjoy it. I know I've had fun writing it. I do not own Harry Potter, its characters, spells, creatures, etc. I truly hope you like reading this and reviews are always welcome.

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Pain and longing. Love and despair. Anger and grief. So many emotions were passing through the wizarding world. He-who-must-not-be-named was finally gone for good and it spread a flood of emotions throughout every household that held a witch or wizard. The one feeling that stood out the most was hope. Hope that the way things were would go back to normal. Hope that days filled with darkness and death would be put to light. Harry Potter had helped them all to gain their feelings of indescribable hope. The fiasco at Hogwarts made everyone realize one thing or another. When everyone settled down from all of the fighting and had time to bury their dead, Harry stood in front of his fellow witches and wizards as other great leaders had before him.

"I know this is a hard time for all of us right now. The losses we have endured haven't even had long enough to sink in. I just wanted you all to know that this battle was won because of all of you. You helped make this," He had motioned to the crowd standing in front of him, "possible. Voldemort would still be here if it weren't for the efforts of all of you brave people. I know that I speak for everyone when I say that this day will never be forgotten. We've all lost loved ones but their death was not in vain. There is nothing we can do for the people who weren't able to be here for this victory except for cherish what we now have. The love we all share for each other, this school, and the entire wizarding world won't go unnoticed. People will know for ages the sacrifice that was made for them to be safe these past few years. Our love is the reason that we could pull through. Our love is what drove Voldemort and his followers into the ground. Keep that love close to you. It will be more powerful than any spell."

The crowd had cheered, cried, and stared shocked at the Chosen One. It was only expected that people who had seen so much death wouldn't exactly feel like cheering at the moment. Later on they would hear those words again and smile at the truth. At the same time it would tug at their hearts with a sadness that only war can bring. It hadn't been long before Harry's little speech had been broadcast in every wizarding house. It was a sense of inspiration for the people and it made them remember that good things do still exist. For the first week they would broadcast Harry's presentation at the same time each night. Some families would gather in their living room just to hear that speech one more time to make sure that it had really happened.

Harry was once again all of the gossip that was whispered from one ear to another. Rita Skeeter especially took the chance to rope Harry in for an interview. Every time Harry saw the Daily Prophet headline he would look at it with scorn. _"__Magnificent Golden Boy Survives the Dark Lord." _That's what the headline read but if anyone cared to actually read the article they'd find out it had nothing to do with Harry defeating Voldemort. She had actually taken interviews from girls at Hogwarts asking them what they thought of Harry. She surprisingly managed to twist those interviews and make it seem like every girl at Hogwarts was in love with the Boy Who Lived. Harry, to be honest, wasn't flummoxed by it. He had realized that stuff like that would happen and that he should just ignore it. Ginny hadn't liked that article one bit and complained about it every other day for a whole month after it was taken out of the Daily Prophet.

Everyone at Hogwarts didn't have time to fuss over gossip. Hogwarts was in total shambles and even with magic they all knew it would take some back bone to fix the place up. Volunteers had stayed at Hogwarts that whole summer to help get it ready for school that September. Harry, Ron, Neville, Hermione, and Luna were some of the few that stayed. Most of the Gryffindor house had stayed while almost none of the Slytherins spent their summer there. Since most of the Slytherins parents had been Death Eaters or friends to Death Eaters, they couldn't really afford to leave home. Even without the Slytherins there it wasn't too hard to get the place back in order. They had Hogwarts put back together in a jiffy. It was only the halfway point of summer when Headmistress McGonagall announced that they could all go back home and enjoy the remainder of their dog days.

Harry had been rather upset to hear that the next morning they were heading back to Kings Cross Station to go back to their homes. He no longer really had a place to call his own. The Dursleys had left and were long gone. Besides, he knew that he didn't want to have to rely on Uncle Vernon or his Aunt Petunia to take care of him any more. It's not like they would have taken him back. They had too many "bad memories" with that boy that they didn't want to relive. Harry couldn't care less if they wanted him back or not because he knew for sure that he would _never _go back to live with that family. There was only two places that he knew he could consider living at. The Weasleys immediately came to mind but he knew that he couldn't do that. He had already caused that family pain and he didn't want them seeing his face everyday to bring back the remnants of their suffering. had been kind enough to offer him a room at their house but Harry had to politely refuse. Ginny had been kind of upset that he had chose not to stay but she understood. No, the only place that Harry knew he could stay was at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. It had been where Sirius lived and it felt only right that he should live there too. He knew it would be kind of empty but at least Kreacher would be there to keep him company. However enticing that thought may have been, it was better having _someone _there than being all alone.

The rest of his summer spent at Grimmauld Place wasn't as lonely as one would think though. Sure he had Kreacher and the portrait of Waldburga Black to keep him company and mutter at him as he walked by, but the isolation kind of comforted him. It gave him time to thumb through his thoughts and pick at his own brain. It gave him time to think about the war and process all the deaths in his own way. He really didn't like it when Hermione or Ginny would come over and coo at him, telling him to just let all of his emotions out. Why can't girls just understand that guys aren't as out going with their feelings as girls are? Ron would come over sometimes, without Hermione, and they would just sit there staring at the coffee table. After an hour or so they would just stand up, have a man hug, and then Ron would go back home, the both of them feeling a little better than before. Harry always liked brooding on his sentiments better when he was alone. Most days he would just sit home, going over the events of the past few years.

There were some days that it took all that he had to get out of bed. The pictures on his nightstand were usually what helped him actually get up. One of the pictures was of Dumbledore's Army they had taken right before they were released for Christmas break in their fifth year. Another one was the one of his parents he had always had. Those two pictures reminded him that he had something to get out of bed for. The most important thing that he learned from all of this is that love is a force not to be reckoned with. So each day he thought of all the love there was in this sad world instead of all of the bad things. He realized that the horrible events of the world outweigh all the compassion, but he strength of the endearment of people, he discerned, was so much more overwhelming than all the awful things the world had to offer. The thought that love truly conquered all made him feel better all the time.

It was just another normal day in late August and once again Harry had managed to oversleep. He grumbled as a searing light pierced through his eyelids, making him roll over onto his side. "Master, the sun has already rose high above the House of Black." Kreacher's croaked voice called to Harry somewhere to his right. Harry slowly peeled his eyes open to glance over at the house-elf.  
"It's noon? Kreacher I've asked you before to wake me up _before _noon, not at it." Harry mumbled as he pushed the comforter off of himself, sat up, and swung his legs over the side of the bed.  
"Kreacher can get very forgetful, _Master_." Kreacher spat out the word master as if putting that word in his mouth had a bad flavor on his taste buds. Harry thought in the back of his mind that Kreacher woke him up late everyday on purpose. Harry knew Kreacher didn't like having to work for Harry. He despised the way Harry went about doing things and he especially hated it when he brought Hermione over. Harry would sometimes hear him mumbling about how much Mistress Black would have disapproved of what the once great House of Black was being used for. Despite Kreacher's antics, Harry tried to be as polite to him as he could. Kreacher was no where near as foul as he had been when Harry first moved in so Harry kept up the niceties and Kreacher tried his best to not complain.

"Kreacher, could you please make me some breakfast?" Harry asked while rubbing his eyes. He heard a _snap _and then a _pop_. When he opened his eyes, Kreacher was no longer standing there, having already apparated to the kitchen. Harry sighed and stood up, stretching. You could hear the soft cracks of his back popping as he raised his arms in the air. He let out a breath and headed to his closet. Harry didn't have a luxurious closet as one might think a famous person should have. No, he had his few shirts, his couple pairs of pants, and his two pairs of shoes. Harry slipped off his pajamas, all except his boxers, and slipped on a crimson red, slim fit V-neck along with a pair of denim jeans. He quickly slipped some shoes on and made his way out of the room. The tread down the stairs was as tedious as it was every morning until he finally reached the bottom of the steps. He turned a corner and then walked down another hall to find himself in the dining room slash kitchen area. There was already a plate of eggs and bacon, accompanied by a cup of coffee, waiting for him on the table. Harry sat down wearily, picking up his fork, already anticipating the delectable looking meal. Just as he went to take a bite of his eggs, he heard a distinct tapping sound coming from the other side of the room. He looked up to see that the was a brown and black mass tapping on his window. Harry got up and crossed the room opening up the window to let his Bengal Eagle Owl into the room. "Hello Rasul." Harry spoke softly to the owl, as it flew to the table with a screech. He went to the owl and took the two pieces of parchment it held in its claws. One object was the Daily Prophet, which he threw to the side, and the other was a yellowish envelope addressed to:

_Mr. H. Potter  
12 Grimmauld Place  
Borough of Islington  
London_

Harry had been too busy looking at the envelope to notice that Rasul was pecking at his fingers. Harry smiled, setting the envelope down and going to the counter. He reached into a bowl an pulled out a little owl treat, handing it to Rasul. The owl ate it gratefully and then flew back out the window. Harry went back over to the table and sat back in his seat. "_Accio__ wand_." He muttered, a second later his wand was resting his hand. Harry set the letter down and with a wave of his wand the seam to the envelope ripped open as if someone had taken an invisible letter opener to it. He set his wand on the table and picked up the envelope, reaching inside to pull the parchment in its confines. He instantly noticed the stamp of the Hogwarts crescent stamped delicately on the front of the letter. Harry smiled gently and flipped the rest of the paper open.

**_HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY _**

**_Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall _**

**_Dear Mr. Potter, _**

**_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to once again attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for an eighth year. The decision is yours if you wish to come back and attend Hogwarts. If you choose to do so you will find a list of all necessary books and equipment you will need enclosed in this letter. We hope to see you at our fine establishment for one more year. The term will begin on September 1st. We await your owl by no later than July 31st. _**

**_Sincerely, _**

**_Minerva McGonagall  
Headmistress of Hogwarts_**

Harry felt the flutter in his chest that made him feel like a kid seeing a toy he wanted really bad. He was extremely glad that he was getting to go back to Hogwarts, even if it was just for one more year. There was still so much for him to learn and he hadn't even gotten to go to any classes last year. That whole time Hermione, Ron, and himself were looking for the horcruxes and running from Death Eaters. So it was a nice relief to know that they would get to finish their last year and get their degrees. Harry set the letter down and started scooping his eggs into his mouth with his fork. Once he was done, he took a sip of his coffee and sifted through the letter, looking for the paper that had his list of school supplies on it. He picked it up and looked at it while nibbling on a piece of bacon. A lot of the stuff he would need was the usual books and other stuff he needed from previous years. They were basically just the advanced versions of things he would have needed when he was a first year. Harry knew this meant a trip to Diagon Alley, which to him actually sounded like a much needed escape from the house.

Harry put the letters back in the envelope and shoved it in his jeans pocket. He grabbed his wand, waving it so his dirty dishes floated gently to the sink. He turned around and grabbed his jacked off of the coat rack right next to the door frame and headed out of the room. He walked right across the hall into his living room and made his way the fireplace. He slipped his jacket on and put his wand in his pocket, making sure it was safe. Harry grabbed some floo powder out of a vase by his fireplace and stepped in. "The Burrow." He said clearly as he threw the powder to the ground. The air around him spun frantically, making his stomach drop. He didn't think he would ever get used to transportation in the wizarding world. Once the residue of travel cleared from his vision, he looked out into the living room of the Weasleys'. He was greeted with the sight of Ron and Hermione laying on the couch snogging passionately. Harry stepped out of their fireplace and stood there awkwardly. After a moment or so of Harry standing there and neither Ron nor Hermione coming up for air, Harry decided to clear his throat. Hermione jumped off of Ron and scooted to the whole other side of the couch in about two seconds flat. Ron kind of just laid there with a dumbstruck look on his face that showed that he wasn't quite sure what had just happened.

"H-Harry! What a pleasant surprise!" Hermione stuttered, her face as red as the Sorcerer's Stone.  
"I could say the same thing. Although it wasn't pleasant for me." Harry muttered and then chuckled. "So have you gotten your letters from Hogwarts?" He asked, changing the subject quickly.  
Ron sat up as he came out of his daze and looked up at Harry. He motioned for Harry to take a seat, which is exactly what Harry did.  
"No, mate we haven't. We were expecting them sometime this week though." Ron said, sliding a glance at Hermione who suppressed a giggle.  
"Oh, well I already got my-" Harry started but was cut off by a loud bang. They all jumped, looking around the room startled.  
Ron sighed and stood up, heading over to one of the windows. "It's just Errol. Looks like he's brought the mail. Bloody bird." Ron opened the window and reached out to pick up the ancient owl off of the ground. He laid the pile of feathers on the arm chair and the bird fluffed its feathers. Harry noticed the owl was losing some feathers and thought to himself how that bird was probably about ready to retire. Hermione tutted in concern and reached out to pet the old bird comfortingly. The owl cooed while Hermione was petting it. Ron reached down and pulled the mail it was carrying from it's talons. "Well what do you know. Here's our letters right here. Blimey that was quick." Ron set the letters beside Errol and then picked him up, putting him gently on the desk that sat beside the window. The bird helped itself to a bowl of treats that were there just for that purpose. Ron rolled his eyes and took his seat next to Harry.

Hermione leaned over and grabbed the letters off of the arm chair. "Here's yours Ron. Oh they sent mine here too. The others are for George and Ginny." She said giving Ron his and placing the two extra on the seat beside her. Footsteps could be heard thundering down the stairs. Before Harry knew it, he was being crushed in a hug filled with the smell of lavender. Red hair was everywhere and Harry had to reach up to get some out of his mouth.  
"Hello, Ginny." Harry replied to the bear hug with a small smile on his face. He realized Ginny's hug hadn't produced the same reaction as it might have a few months ago. He decided to push that thought to the back of his mind as he hugged Ginny back. Ginny pulled away and plopped down right next to Harry.  
"Hi, Harry. It's nice to see you." Ginny said with a wink. "Ooh, what's that you've got there?" This time her words were directed to Ron and Hermione. Hermione grabbed Ginny's letter and reached across the two boys to hand It to her. "Oh goody. I was wondering when these were going to get here." Ginny said with a smile, placing a hand on Harry's thigh. Harry gulped, becoming more worried about why Ginny's playfulness was no longer arousing the same emotions as it used to. Harry didn't have much time to think about it because another set of footsteps could be heard coming down the stair as George made his way into the room.

"Hello Harry." George looked at Harry then to Ron. "Oi, what you got there, mate?" He asked with sheer curiostity.  
"They're our Hogwarts letters. You got one too." Ron reached over Hermione to pick up George's letter to hand it to him.  
"That's mighty nice of them to ask me to come back. I think I might just take that offer. I bloody didn't learn anything the year that awful Umbridge woman worked there so It'd be nice to have a more fulfilled feeling to my education." George winked at the lot of them and took his letter. "So, who's up for a trip to Diagon Alley?"

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AN: I recommend looking up a picture of Harry's new owl, Rasul. In my opinion it is a very beautiful and majestic looking bird. Also I though I'd let anyone who cares know that I'm not sure when I'll post chapters. I'll try to post once or twice a week but I'll never be for sure.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Hello once again dear readers. I got this chapter out there faster than I thought I would but either way here you go! I hope you enjoy,  
and I hope you enjoy seeing Malfoy for the first time in this story.  
I do not own Harry Potter or anything that is attributed to it. If I did I'd be living a charmed life indeed.

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Harry had almost forgotten how bustling and crowded Diagon Alley was when it was nearing terms. People were practically elbow to elbow from one side of the street to the other. You could tell that most of the people here were to get things for first year students going to Hogwarts. Harry had to step hastily to the side as a small girl came running through the crowd with a toad in her hand. "Excuse me!" The little girl called back even though she was halfway down the street. Harry grinned and turned back around, picking up the pace to catch back up with Ron. Ron and Hermione had their fingers interlocked and were walking shoulder to shoulder. Harry sighed and looked away. He noticed they were right by Flourish and Blotts, and quickly tapped Ron's shoulder.  
"We should probably go get our books, since that's mostly what's on out list." Harry said loudly so the two of them could hear him. He felt a hand on his elbow and he half turned to see Ginny standing there, George right behind her. Harry smiled at both of them and gasped in surprise when he suddenly felt himself being dragged away. Before he knew it he was in a cold building surrounded by books. Harry could smell the must coming off of the older books, and thought of how it reminded him of Hogwart's library. Hermione must have had the same idea because she was grinning from ear to ear and bolted off like a kid in a candy store. Ron grinned lovingly and followed after her.

Harry grinned softly and headed to an aisle that he assumed would have some of their reading material. He was thumbing the binding of the books when he heard a soft cough to his left. He turned his neck to look at the pale freckled face, framed by red hair. "Harry, is something wrong? You seem kind of out of it today." Ginny asked with a look of genuine concern on her face. Harry's face turned a light red and he went back to studying the books.  
"I'm fine, Ginny. I guess I'm just anxious about going back to Hogwarts." Harry lied, composing himself, and then turning back to look at Ginny with a reassuring smile. Ginny smiled back and leaned in to place her lips on his but right before her lips touched his Harry turned his head slightly so she landed a soft kiss on his cheek. Harry saw something flash in Ginny's eyes that let him know that she knew what he had just done. Instead she gave him a somewhat apologetic smile.  
"Okay Harry. Well I'm going to go walk with George, so I'll catch up with you later, okay?" Ginny didn't give Harry time to reply and turned around, walking out of the aisle.

Harry scowled and then hit himself mentally for what he had done. He didn't know why he did it but he knew at that moment he hadn't wanted to kiss Ginny and the thought sort of repulsed him. He loved Ginny...didn't he? While thoughts of love and snogging swirled through his brain, Harry made his way around the store picking up all of the books that he would need for his last school year at Hogwarts. Without even really thinking about it, he magicked his books back to Grimmauld Place where they laid comfortably on his bed. Harry slipped his wand back into pocket and stepped back outside onto the busy street. Some people would stop and do a double take to see if they had really seen Harry Potter. Some of the people who confirmed their suspicions would come up to him and shake his hand vigorously but others would look at him in an awestruck kind of fear and scramble away. Harry quickly shoved his way into the crowd to get away from the sightseers. He grunted as people pushed past him; it got worse when a group of people came pouring out of Broomstix. Harry was pushed roughly out of the crowd and thrown against a brick wall that was attached to a building. He winced, rubbing the back of his now tender head. "Barbarians..." He muttered.

Harry was about to head back into the crowd of pushy people when he heard something behind him. It was a loud _crack_ and then a softer thud. A quiet _oomph_ could be heard after a series of muffled banging sounds. Harry turned around to see that he was staring into the entryway of Knockturn Alley. He looked down the dark alley curiously, his eyes widening when he heard, "_Crucio_!". He was now in protective mode as he quickly made his way through the narrow alley and turned a corner. He was greeted with the sight of three wizards towering over a crumpled mess of a person on the ground. Suddenly the figure on the ground shot up in a mass of blonde hair and pointed his wand at the closest person to him.  
The boy on the ground yelled, "_Depulso__!_" sending his target flying across the alley, smacking onto the opposite wall with a loud _crack_. The boy who went flying slid down the wall and didn't move again. The other two looked at their partner and then back to the blonde headed boy with a renowned ferocity. Harry quickly pulled his wand out to the ready.  
"_Epoximise! Expelliarmus! Immobulus__!_" Harry called out the chain of spells each one having a different effect. First the two attackers yelled in surprise as they were both flung at each others backs, stuck to one another. They tried to pull away but it was as if someone had put a very strong type of glue on each of their backs, keeping them together. Then before they could do more about it their wands flew out of their hands and into Harry's free hand. They fumbled as they fell to the ground and then abruptly they couldn't move at all. They were now frozen in that position, no longer able to move their limbs. All they could move was their eyes which were darting around the alley frantically.

Harry threw their wands on the ground and then pocketed his own. He looked down at the person sitting on the ground to see sharp, grey eyes staring up at him angrily. Draco Malfoy was looking at Harry with a scowl and he didn't even bother to wipe away the blood that was dripping from the corner of his mouth. Harry's stomach twisted at the sight of Malfoy in such a state. The noble, snooty Draco Malfoy was in the middle of a dark alley beaten and bruised. Harry could see a purple set of knuckles imprinted on Malfoy's left cheek, showing how hard that his attacker must have hit him. Harry took a step toward Malfoy and then reached his hand out, offering to help him up while looking at the ground right beside Malfoy. Malfoy swatted Harry's hand away and instead put his own hand on the wall, shakily getting on his two feet. "I don't need your help, Potter." Malfoy spit out the word 'Potter' to show his distaste in even having to say it while he wiped the blood from his face. Harry glanced down, watching Malfoy pocket something that greatly resembled a wand. His thoughts instantly fled to the Hawthorn wand that laid in his nightstand drawer. He decided to not bring it up because at that moment he didn't feel like having a quarrel with Malfoy.  
"You know Malfoy, it wouldn't hurt for you to be nice every once in a while." Harry said wearily, rubbing the bridge of his nose under his glasses. He turned and took a step to make his way out of Knockturn Alley when he felt a hand placed gently on his forearm. He turned his head to see Malfoy looking at him with pleading eyes. Harry jerked his arm away at the feeling of electricity and warmth running throughout his entire body. Harry could feel his cheeks turning a light red as he took a small step back from Malfoy. Immediately, Malfoy put his emotional mask back on and shoved his hands into his pocket as if nothing just happened. Inside his pockets though he was clenching his fists open and closed as he too had felt the so called static electricity run through his fingers as soon as they had touched Harry's arm.

Before either of them could get a chance to make a rude remark to the other, a head covered in bushy hair poked it's way around the corner. "Harry, there you are! We were looking for you!" Hermione called out to him as she came around the corned and bounced over to Harry. She went stiff when she realized that Malfoy was just standing a few feet away from them.  
"Oi! Mate, are you over here? Did you find him, Hermione?" Ron's voice could be heard from around the corner. He stepped out from behind the brick wall, looked left and then right to see Hermione standing beside Harry. He made to go deeper into the alley but then he noticed Malfoy standing there, making a smug face at him. "Malfoy? You better not have bloody gotten into a fight with Harry! I swear you rotten prat that I will-"  
Malfoy cut him off by taking a step forward, his smirk gone and replaced by a look of anger mixed with loathing. "You'll what, Weasley? Jinx me? Cry for your mummy to come save you? Or better yet make Granger here save your sorry ass?" His voice had rose into a half yell, and his face becoming steadily more red. Hermione took one look at him and could tell that he was itching for a fight.  
Ron put himself in between Hermione and Malfoy, raising his nose up indignantly. "Shut up! Don't talk about Hermione that way! If you had any sense, you stupid git, you'd just turn around and leave! Three against one isn't very good odds for you, _Malfoy._"  
Malfoy laughed at that; it was a humorless laugh though and you could hear the mockery at the fringes of it. "If _I _had any sense? I'm damn well smarter than you'll ever be, Weasley! I can talk about the Mudblood however I want! Go ahead Weasel, take a shot." Malfoy raised his hands in a taunting manner. Hermione inhaled sharply at the obscenity Malfoy had called her and Ron just got straight furious.

Harry could tell this was only going to get worse so he stepped forward putting both of his hands up, one toward Ron and one towards Malfoy. "Ron, let it go. Walk away. And Malfoy, you're not helping the situation one bit. Both of you just need to calm down and we can part ways and never talk to one another again." It was silent for a few seconds and then the alley echoed with the other two yelling at Harry simultaneously.  
"Calm down?! You heard what he called Hermione! He thinks he can talk to us however he wants, even after everything he's put us through-"  
"No way am I backing down to the Weasel! I'm going to shove my wand up his ass and there's nothing you can do about it Potter-"  
They had both erupted and yelled at Harry for a minute or so until the only voice in the alley was Ron's. Malfoy had stopped yelling and had suddenly made his way over to Harry, lifting him off of the ground by his collar. Then he, none too gently mind you, slammed Harry against the brick wall. Hermione squeaked in surprise, backing away from the two while Ron went silent and stared at his best friend and worst enemy in shock. Malfoy looked straight into Harry's eyes, his grip tightening. Harry couldn't really decipher what he was seeing in Malfoy's eyes but his face seemed contorted as if it was trying to figure out which emotion to display. "I'm just about sick and tired of you and your little friends sticking your noses into my business. I didn't need your fucking help with those bastards over there." Malfoy nodded his head to his left, motioning to the group of people who had attacked him. "Why can't you just leave me alone, Potter? It's bad enough that I'm ridiculed by everyone else because of what I was but I don't need you to show up and rub it in my face even more. I know I've made mistakes and I know these fuckers along with yourself have demons in your pasts." Malfoy let go of Harry roughly and turned around so Harry couldn't see his face. Harry stared at the back of Malfoy's head, with his mouth wide open. Malfoy walked in the other direction and kicked one of his immobilized attackers in the face. He just chuckled softly when a soft snap could be heard from the impact of his foot. Malfoy went to turn the corner that would lead him further into Knockturn Alley and then stopped. He turned his head slightly to the right and called out to Harry. "See you at school, Potter." He mutter right before he disappeared into the even darker passageway.

Harry and Ron just stood there staring at the empty space Malfoy had just disappeared from. Hermione was already getting to work though. She headed over to the trio of attackers that were sprawled out all over the alley floor. She had pulled her wand out, waving it to and fro as she mumbled incantations softly. Ron shook his head and came out of his daze, walking over to help Hermione. Harry was still standing there but he no longer looked shocked. He now looked kind of confused as he gently rubbed the sore area around his neck. There was still a burning sensation in the spots that Malfoy's hands had latched on to Harry's throat, along with places that their bodies had been touching. The heat on his neck slowly dissipated and he frowned, wanting that feeling to come back. Harry let out a shaky breath as he made his way over to join Ron and Hermione who were crouching beside Malfoy's attackers. "I don't know exactly what went on here but from what I can tell, these three attacked Malfoy correct?" Hermione asked, not even bothering to look at Harry. Ron looked at three muggers sitting on the ground with his jaw set. He was probably thinking of how wrong and rude he had been to Malfoy but there was no way that he was going to admit it.  
Harry looked down at the ground, holding back the urge to punch one of the jinxed people in front of him. "Yes, they attacked him. They were also using one of the Unforgivable Curses. I don't think it worked though." Harry mumbled while twiddling with a pebble he found on the ground. The three hoodlums were now bound together with a rope, looking confused and scared. Hermione had cast a silencing spell on the three of them so that they wouldn't open their big mouths and beg for mercy or something like that. She now put a piece of paper in between their bodies and the rope. Harry could see that their was writing on the thin piece of parchment that distinctly had Hermione's hand writing on it. "What are you going to do with them?" He asked her curiously.  
"I'm sending them to the ministry. They can decide what their punishment is there. There's nothing more we can do for them." Hermione stood up and then with a wave of her wand, the roped up and somewhat beaten trio of aggressors disappeared. She put her wand back into her pocket and turned around looking pretty proud of herself.

Ron and Harry stood up as well, staring after Hermione. She had already found her way out of the alley, leaving Harry and Ron to scramble after her. "Now come on. We need to finish our shopping." said Hermione when she knew that the two boys were standing behind her. They all made their way into the crowd and found their way to Scribbulus Writing Instruments. While in there they stocked up on new quills and a lot of parchment. They had a feeling that they were going to be using quite a bit of paper. Harry had a feeling they were going to learn new things but have loads of homework to accompany all the acquired education. Hermione had ended up with twice as many quills and triple the amount of paper that Harry and Ron had bought combined. Ron chuckled as Hermione walked out of the shop, carrying a bag that she had to carry with two hands. Ron pulled his wand out and waved it once. Hermione giggled when the bag disappeared and they could actually see her face again. They had gotten everything new that they needed for school and met back up with Ginny and George. Harry's eyes were darting everywhere just to keep from looking at Ginny. For some reason he felt guilty, as if he had done something wrong that Ginny would scrutinize him for. Harry clenched his fists but released them when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Ron standing there beside him while the others were walking away. Ginny took a nervous look back but just kept walking. "Didn't you hear me, mate?" Ron asked as Harry looked at him with an oblivious look. "I said that we are going to go get some ice cream and that you're welcome to join us." Harry nodded trying to swallow down the lump that had formed in his throat. "Don't let Malfoy get to you, Harry. He's always been a spoilt git and he won't change. Let's go get some ice cream, mate. I bet that will make you feel better." Ron smiled reassuringly, patting Harry's shoulder. He turned around and merged into the crowd. Harry cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, trying to hide his embarrassment as he followed after his best friend.

Harry followed Ron down the street, through all of the hectic kids and parents trying to get everything on their list. Ron suddenly turned and headed into one of the many buildings but before Harry followed him, Harry stopped to look a the sign. It read: Florean Fortesue's Ice Cream Parlour. Seeing this shop reminded him so much of his first trip to Diagon Alley with Hagrid. Hagrid had bought him some ice cream while they were there and Harry had know that day that his life was going to be changed forever. If only he had known how much it would've really changed back then. Harry smiled a small smile and looked away from the sign that brought so many memories of sweets and school. He looked inside to see all of his friends that he loved so much staring at him. Harry beamed at them and they smiled just as lovingly back. They weren't thinking of it at the moment but they all knew this would be one of those small moments that they would remember forever. Both Ginny and Hermione waved him over to their table and Harry walked over obediently. They each had an ice cream cone in their hands except for Ron. Ron was eying Hermione's with a sort of ravenous look in his eye. "Oh no, Ronald. This is mine go get your own." Hermione waved him away with her hand, keeping her ice cream out of arms reach of Ron who just smiled and grabbed Harry's arm.  
"Come on, mate. Let's go get some ice cream. I don't like banana cream anyways." He said, sticking his tongue out at Hermione. Harry just chuckled and followed Ron over to the counter.

Since Florean had passed, thanks to Death Eaters, there was a new person running the place. There was a young man behind the counter who looked to be maybe in his early thirties. He had short brown hair along with brown eyes and Harry had to admit that he was very ordinary looking. The way he worked with the ice cream though was quite amazing. He'd flip the spoon in the air every once in a while and smile when it drew a laugh from some of the smaller customers. Harry couldn't help but smile as well. This man just seemed to be emanating happiness. "Hello, lads. What can I get you today?" The man asked, a cheery tone to his voice. Ron looked over the counter for a second, pondering over what flavor he should get.  
"I'll have... vanilla pistachio, please." said Ron while licking his lips in anticipation. The man nodded and twirled the spoon in a fancy fashion while scooping out the ice cream. Ron's ice cream was now on a cone and Ron practically snatched his treat out of the man's hand. He quickly put his money on the counter and went to take his seat beside Hermione.  
"What about you? What would you like?" The man asked Harry with a twinkle in his eye.  
"Uh, I'll take chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts on top." Harry loved this flavor and he thought it was only fitting to get it. That had been the exact type of cone Hagrid had gotten for him on his first trip to Diagon Alley. It made Harry smile just thinking about it as he watched the man scoop out his ice cream.  
"I've heard quite a bit about you, Mr. Potter. Not just from the news either. Old Florean would tell me wonderful things about you. He'd go on about how you were such a nice boy with great potential and a big heart. He was quite fond of you, you know. If only he were still here to see all the great things you have done." The man shook his head, his twinkling eyes seeming to have lost their sparkle.  
"Mr. Fortescue was a good man as well. It's different, not seeing him behind this counter. I had gotten so used to watching him make ice cream. He had quite the talent. It seems that you do too, sir. Who are you? If you don't mind me asking." Harry asked, reaching over and taking his cone out of the man's hand gently.

"Timothy Hookens, at your sevice." Timothy bowed dramatically with a smile. "You may call me Timbo if you'd like. Everyone else does but it doesn't bother me. I've actually grown quite fond of the name."  
Harry smiled at Timbo's remarkable presentation. "It's nice to meet you, Timbo. You may call me Harry. So, how did you know Mr. Fortescue?" Harry asked, taking a small lick of his ice cream.  
"Well I'm actually a distant cousin of Florean's. I used to come down here every summer when I was little and he would show me how he did it all." Timbo motioned to the whole shop around them. "I was quite devastated when I had learned of his passing. At the funeral they had read his Will and it turned out that Florean had left me a small sum of money along with the parlour. It took quite a bit but I eventually got this place back in order and reopened it." Timbo shrugged and displayed a small smile on his face.  
"I see. Well you are doing a mighty fine job of running this place, Timbo. The ice cream and service are just as good as I remember it." Harry smiled happily and reached into his pocket to get out his money.  
"No, no. Harry, this cone is on the house. I know Florean would toss in his grave if he knew I made Harry Potter pay for an ice cream cone. Think of it as a token of my gratitude for being able to brighten up a part of my dear Florean's life." Timbo outstretched his hand and let it rest on Harry's shoulder. Harry knew by the look on his face that there wasn't any room to try and argue with the man so Harry just nodded.  
"It was very nice to meet you, Timbo. I'll be seeing you around." Harry raised his cone up in the air slightly and then turned around to go sit with his friends. They all had just sat there talking while enjoying their flavorful ice cream cones. Once they had all finished, they gave each other farewell hugs and went on their way.

The others had already apparated but Ginny had stayed behind. Harry's stomach tied in a knot as Ginny kissed him goodbye. It wasn't the good kind of feeling that you get when you snog either. Ginny could tell there was something wrong but she could also see that this wasn't the time for them to talk about it. Harry brought her in for a hug, and embraced her tightly. "I miss you already, Harry." Ginny muttered in his ear teasingly.  
"Well we only have a few days before we have to go back to King's Cross. We will see each other then." Harry replied with no playfulness in his voice. Ginny slightly winced at the sharpness in his tone and Harry instantly felt guilty. He knew he couldn't keep this up with Ginny and that sooner or later he was going to have to tell her that he was no longer sure about their relationship. "Goodbye, Ginny." He kissed her softly on the cheek and then apparated back to Grimmauld Place. Luckily he had landed in his room because he immediately flopped back onto his bed. He already felt sick at the thought of having to break things off with Ginny but he knew it was for the best. He no longer loved her and he didn't even know if he liked girls all that much anymore. But that was something he would think about later because at the moment he just wanted to sleep. Harry slipped his glasses off and then closed his eyes. Only a couple more days until he would be headed back to Platform 9 3/4. The thought calmed him down and made him feel warm inside. He couldn't wait to go back to the place he deep down considered his real home. He knew he had only been there a few months ago but this was different. He was getting to go back into a normal routine and hopefully learn tons of new things. "Hogwarts here I come." Harry mumbled before falling into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I'm back! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up but I'm sure most of you know how summer can be. I would love to see what you all think of this story so far. Your thoughts and opinions would mean the world to me! :) For those of you reading I hope you enjoy this installment of A Wand For You Thoughts. Happy reading!

P.S.- I still don't own Harry Potter or anything attributed with it...

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The day finally arrived for Harry and all of his friends to go back to Hogwarts. Harry got up earlier than he was used to as of late and started packing his trunk. He carefully set all of his school supplies in one trunk and then all of his robes in another. He sat on his bed, tired and wishing he could go back to sleep. His gaze went over to his nightstand and he gingerly picked up the pictures that sat there. He looked at them for a moment and then placed them in the trunk with his clothes. Turning his attention back to his nightstand, he opened the top drawer. A long, little black box laid there which contained Malfoy's wand. Harry reached into the drawer and picked it up. He could feel the magic coming off of the wand through the box. The magic passed through Harry's hand and he could feel that the wand longed to be used. It also seemed to want to go back to it's former master. Harry sighed and put the wand box into his trunk as well. "I'll have to give this back to Malfoy at some point. I'm surprised he hasn't busted through the front door demanding it back." Harry muttered as he stood up and closed his trunks. At the exact moment that he closed his trunks, Kreacher came hobbling into his room. "Master, you're awake." He stated as if Harry did not already know that.

"Good morning to you too Kreacher." Harry replied as he set his trunks on the ground. Kreacher glanced at Harry's trunks, a small twinkle in his eye. Harry couldn't help but laugh half-heartedly. "While I'm away I'd like you to watch over the house, Kreacher. Other than that you are free to do whatever you wish." Harry told Kreacher. Kreacher looked like he would jump for joy if he could.  
"Yes, Master." Kreacher told Harry as he tried to hide a roguish grin. "Would Master like some breakfast?" He asked, a hint of anxiety in his voice.  
"No thanks. I need to get going if I want to make it to the train station in time." Harry knew Kreacher couldn't wait for him to leave so he thought he'd bring some joy to the old house elf by leaving a little early. He would just eat something from the trolley when he got on the train.

Kreacher bowed deeply and headed out of the room. Harry shook his head and then sat on his bed lightly. He hung his head slightly as he sat there in thought for a moment. He kept thinking how wonderful this year was going to be without having to worry about dying and horrible stuff like that. He would actually get to hang out with his friends and they wouldn't be trying to solve some mystery that had to deal with Lord Voldemort. As Harry sat there in thought a soft tapping came from his window. He looked up to see Razul on his windowsill tapping on the window for Harry to let him in. Harry sat up and opened the window, watching the beautiful owl fly in and sit on top of his dresser. Razul eyed the birdcage that lay on the floor next to one of his trunks. Harry smiled and went over to the owl, petting it reassuringly. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. It won't be that long of a ride and then you'll be able to fly around as much as you want." Harry talked to the owl, trying to soothe it's nerves. He turned away from the owl and lifted his left hand up to look at his watch. Harry decided it was time for him to leave since it was 10 o'clock. "I'm sorry Razul, but it's time to go." Harry bent down and picked up birdcage. He placed it on his bed and opened the door to it. Razul understood and flew over and into the cage. He chirped softly and shifted his feet, getting comfortable. Harry closed the cage door, making sure to lock it and then he pulled his wand out. With a flick of his wand all of his trunks and Razul were sitting in the back of his car. Harry pocketed his wand and made his way out of his room. He hopped down the stairs and then went through the front door. His little car was sitting there waiting for him so he got into it and started it up. Before long he was on the road and heading towards King's Cross Station.

It took Harry almost thirty minutes to get to the train station because of traffic so he was glad that he had left a little early. He had parked and pulled all of his luggage out onto a trolley. Now he was standing in the hectic muggle part of the train station. He figured he still had another thirty minutes before the train would leave so he decided to just sit down for a few minutes. He sat down at the nearest bench and just watched all of the muggles scramble around to get on their trains. He couldn't help but smile when people would walk by and look at his trolley funny or eye Razul. The beauty of it was that people were looking at him that way because they thought he was weird looking, not because they recognized him as the Boy Who Lived. It was actually somewhat relaxing to Harry. Everyone was just walking right by him instead of stopping to gawk and ask for his autograph or shake his hand. Harry was looking around at all of the muggles when suddenly he saw a wave of red hair making its way through the train station. He smiled when he saw them one by one disappear into Platform 9 3/4. He stood up and decided that he'd better follow. Harry pushed his trolley a little ways and then ran with all of his force at the barrier between platform nine and ten. He went straight through the barrier and ended up on the wizard train station like he had done for so many years. He headed straight for the train and loaded all of his luggage up. Stepping out of the train he looked around for the sea of red hair. Once he spotted them, he headed over to where they stood.

Mrs. Weasley smiled and grabbed Harry in a tight embrace. "You look skinny Harry! Are you getting enough to eat, dear?" She asked him with motherly concern. Harry opened his mouth to reply when he suddenly felt an arm around his shoulder. He looked to his left to see George looking down at him with a big smile.  
"Mum! There's no need to coddle Harry. He is eighteen you know, a big boy. He can take care of himself." George looked at his mom with that familiar twinkle in his eye as he pinched Harry's cheek.  
Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips in discontent. "I know that George! It's just I worry about you Harry dear." George pulled away from Harry and Mrs. Weasley took her chance. She took a step towards Harry and patted his hair, trying to fix it a little. Then she patted dust off of Harry's shirt that probably wasn't even dirty. Harry smiled and gave Mrs. Weasley a hug. Mrs. Weasley turned away, trying to hide her tears.

"Harry!" Harry turned to see his two best friends standing right behind him. They both smiled at him as he smiled back. Someone grabbed him from behind and wrapped their arms around his neck. He had a good idea of who it was. He turned his head and saw flaming red hair.  
"Hiya Ginny." Harry tried to sound enthusiastic and nice so as not to hurt Ginny's feeling again. Ginny smiled and hugged him tighter, not noticing the fake tone to Harry's voice.  
"You all better get on the train!" called from behind them. As if on cue the train blew it's whistle, signaling it was about time to go. All of the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione made their way onto the train and waved goodbye to as the train slowly made it's way out of the station. They brought their heads back into the window and found a compartment to sit it. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny all sat in one together.  
"I'm so excited to go back to school! I was afraid that I wouldn't get to learn everything that I need to." Hermione said, biting her lip.  
"I think you've learned everything you can Hermione!" Ron chuckled, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Ginny eyed them and then looked at Harry. She laid partially on his chest and shoulder, snuggling him. Harry looked down at her and then coughed slightly. He gently pushed her off of him and then stood up.  
"I'll be right back guys." Harry said to the group. Ron and Hermione nodded but Ginny just stared after him. He quickly stepped out of the compartment and closed the door behind him, taking a deep breath.

Harry wasn't sure how much longer he could keep things up with Ginny. She just seemed so intent on always touching him in some way. Harry sighed and looked out the window at all the trees passing by then down at his stomach when it growled loudly. "I didn't eat breakfast..." He mumbled to himself as he looked down the hall, regretting not having Kreacher make him breakfast. The candy trolley wouldn't be making rounds for at least another couple hours. Harry sighed again and moved down the hall a little so he was out of sight of his friends and Ginny. He leaned on the train windowsill and just stood there for a few minutes, watching the scenery. He perked up a little when he heard suspicious whispering coming from his left. He turned his head slightly to see a small group huddled together. Harry shuffled a little closer to get a better listen. He couldn't hear everything they were saying but he could make out a few words.

"That Death Eater..."  
"He'll pay..."  
"should Curse him..."  
"down the hall..."  
Let's go..."

The group of five all nodded at each other. A couple looked nervous and a couple looked excited. Harry knew this could only end badly so when the group of kids starting walking sneakily down the hall, he followed them. They went through a door and into the next side car. They kept looking into compartments trying to find whoever they were looking for. Suddenly they stopped and backed up hurriedly, huddling up again. Harry stopped a few steps behind them and crossed his arms across his chest. "So what now?" One of them asked the group.  
"Do you guys know any curses?" Another asked.  
"I know some jinxes." One put in helpfully.  
Harry had let this go far enough so he cleared his throat. "Excuse me. Do you mind telling me what you're up to?" He asked the group, causing them all to jump. The youngest looking one who seemed to be a first year jumped the most and whirled around, pointing his wand at Harry. Purple sparks shot out and hit Harry square in the stomach. Harry coughed and doubled over clenching his stomach.  
"What did you do?!" One of the kids asked the youngest one loudly, who looked absolutely terrified. "I-I don't know! I was scared! I th-thought he was the Death Eater." The first year stuttered, looking close to tears.

"You mean me?" A voice droned behind them in a teasing yet deadly tone. They all turned around to see Draco Malfoy standing there shooting daggers at them with his eyes. The color disappeared from their faces and they ran down the hall and back into their side car. Malfoy grinned maliciously and then looked at Harry. Harry was still clutching his stomach but he was now sitting up and leaning against the wall. "What was that about Potter?" Malfoy demanded, his arms now crossed across his chest as he tried to look angry. Harry side glanced at Malfoy and then pushed himself off of the wall. He turned to face Malfoy directly.  
"They thought that they would come over here and jinx you or something." Harry didn't want to say curse because that would have made it sound worse than it was. "They were just a bunch of first and second years who have heard stories. Nothing to worry about."  
Malfoy snorted and looked away from Harry. "Nothing to worry about? Yeah right. More than half of the school is probably going to have the same idea. Let's see if I survive the school year. That bastard Weasel will probably start a Malfoy Hate Club and you'll be right there with him won't you, Potter?" Malfoy turned to look at Harry again and poked him roughly in the chest.  
"Well maybe if you weren't such a prick all of the time someone might actually like you." Harry said to Malfoy with venom in his eyes.  
"Then why would you come stop these brats?" Malfoy said suddenly. "Huh, Potter? Why come save the day when the only person you're helping is me?"  
Harry's eyes widened and he stuttered. Malfoy had caught him off guard. "W-Well I never said _I _hate you, Malfoy."  
Malfoy shook his head and uncrossed his arms. "It was kind of implied after all of these years of fighting, Potter." Malfoy looked at Harry who had turned a light shade of red.  
Harry, who didn't know why his heart was racing so fast, looked everywhere he could except at Malfoy. "So does that mean you hate me, Malfoy?" Harry asked.  
This time Harry had caught Malfoy off guard. Malfoy's mask came apart and he showed that he was shocked. He stared straight at Harry with his grey eyes. His face was now about the same shade as Harry's only a little lighter. "Po-"

"Harry!" Ron came running down the hall, closely followed by Hermione and Ginny. "You've been gone for a while, mate. We were starting to get worried." Ron walked up to Harry and then saw Malfoy. His face instantly wrinkled up in anger.  
"Why would you worry about him, Weasel? He's the '_amazing_' Harry Potter, I think he can do as he pleases without a babysitter." Malfoy taunted jeeringly. "A couple of poor redheads and a mudblood are Harry Potter's bodyguards. How amusing." Ron's face and ears turned red and he popped his knuckles, getting ready for a fight. Harry put his arm out in front of Ron, hoping that he wouldn't pounce on Malfoy. "Now if you'll excuse me." Malfoy turned around and opened his compartment door. "And Potter. I don't hate you but you better keep that redhead mongrel away from me." With that Malfoy slammed his door shut and closed the curtain so no one could see him.  
"What was that about?" Hermione asked from behind Ron.  
"Let's go back to our room and I'll tell you." Harry said, still peering at the shut curtains that hid Malfoy from their view.

They all went back to their little compartment and Harry told them everything that happened. He only left out the parts about why he had left the room in the first place and his conversation with Malfoy before they showed up. "That's dreadful..." Hermione said once Harry was done with the story.  
"Dreadful? That proud git deserves a few curses sent his way." Ron said, looking at Hermione. "Isn't that right, Harry?"  
Harry looked at the compartment floor in thought. "To be honest, I don't think anyone deserves that. I mean think about it. For someone to want to curse someone, they'd have to really not like that person. To have the whole school want to curse you and basically say they hate you would be awful." Ron looked at Harry and then thought it over a moment.  
"Yeah I see what you mean, mate. But this is Malfoy we're talking about! He would wish curses on us with a snap of his finger if he could." Ron chuckled and laid back on the seat.  
Ginny turned to look at Harry and gently put her hand on his thigh. Harry looked at her hand and really wished that he could move it. "You don't have to ever worry about that though. You're Harry Potter! The whole world loves you!" Ginny said enthusiastically, giving his thigh a squeeze.  
"Yeah..." Harry mumbled and looked out the window.

Hills, trees, lakes and all sorts of things zoomed past the window as they made their way to Hogwarts. The candy trolley came and they all bought themselves some sweets. Harry was grateful to put something in his stomach even as he tried some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Even Hermione brought herself to try one. She was lucky and got a strawberry flavored one. Ron pushed his luck and ended up getting sardine, earwax, and dirty sock flavored ones. They ate their Chocolate Frogs and Fizzing Wizzbees, while happily talking and laughing amongst themselves.  
The time finally came and the all got up to put their robes on. They sat in their compartment eager and anxious. The train finally started to slow down and they all looked out the window, waiting for their first glimpse of Hogwarts. Harry took in a sharp breath as some trees got out of their way and they could see Hogwarts castle in all of it's grandeur. It felt good to be able look at the castle and not worry about some deadly task he might have to undertake. He looked at his friends and he could tell that they felt the same way. They all had smiles plastered on their faces that showed how relieved and happy they were to be back at a danger free Hogwarts.

The train came to a stop and they all got up. Once they got out, Harry couldn't help but smile even more, looking at all of the happy faces getting off of the train as well. "Firs' years! Firs' years this way!" Harry turned at hearing the familiar voice. The half-giant loomed over the children with a look of utmost joy. "Hello there Harry!" Hagrid called to him from over the crowd. Harry squirmed his way over to Hagrid, looking up at him happily. Hagrid greeted him by patting him on the head, making Harry's knees buckle slightly. "It seems like only yesterday you were comin' off that there train as a firs' year." Hagrid sniffled a little and wiped away some tears that had run down into his beard. "Well you bes' be off. Wouldn't want ter miss the feast." Hagrid pulled out a handkerchief and blew his nose loudly. Harry smiled and nodded, turning around to head back to his friends. They all hopped onto a thestral driven carriage. Hermione, Ron, Harry, Neville and Luna all rode in one carriage. Ginny had left them to go find her other friends so she could ride with them. Harry had actually been relieved to get some time away from her. He thought it best to keep those thoughts out of his head as he turned to Luna and Neville.  
"How has your summer been since I last saw you guys?" Harry asked them both with a polite smile.  
"Well my Gran is still as strict as ever. She actually let Luna come over for a few days though." Neville smiled and put an arm around Luna's shoulder who, surprisingly, blushed.  
"Yes she even let me plant a Yagsburn tree in their back yard. They are meant to bring good luck and fortune to whosever land it lives in." Luna said in her mystic voice.  
Hermione smiled at them with a kind of motherly happiness. "That's great you guys." She said. They all still had smiles on their faces as they inched ever closer to the place some of them could call home.

All of the older students walked up the steps gingerly as if one wrong step could send everything to hell. They knew it wouldn't but they still couldn't believe this would be their last school year, their last time to walk up these steps for a new year. They made their way through the giant front doors and into the Great Hall. The commotion of their chatter echoed back to them from the high ceiling as they all took their seats at their house tables. All of the professors were sitting at their table in front of all of the student tables except for Hagrid and Headmistress McGonagall. McGonagall was standing at the podium that Albus Dumbledore had stood at for so long. She stood there smiling at all of the students merrily. A few minutes passed and then all of the first years came stumbling into the hall nervously. They were all lead by Hagrid who puffed up his chest to show that he was proud to be leading them in. Professor McGonagall stepped forward, setting out a stool and placing an old tattered hat on top of it. Harry smiled, remembering the first time he had worn the Sorting Hat. It wasn't the nicest of hats but it most certainly was the smartest. The first years looked at the hat in a confused manner as the sorting ceremony began. They all sat there waiting for each first year to get sorted. Each house would cheer each time they'd get a new student in their house. It seemed that this year Hufflepuff had the most new students. Harry glanced over at the Slytherin table and truly couldn't believe what he saw. There were barely any Slytherins to look at. There were numerous gaps in between groups of students that not even the new students they got had been able to fill. It really seemed that a lot of Slytherins wouldn't be coming to Hogwarts this year or for years to come. 'All Slytherins can't be bad eggs... Can they?' Harry thought to himself, his gaze sliding over the empty holes at his enemy house table. Then he noticed the biggest of all the gaps. In the middle of that gap sat Draco Malfoy. Harry didn't know why but he instantly felt his heart tighten with sadness. No one wanted to sit anywhere near Malfoy and Harry couldn't help but feel bad for him. Harry sighed and turned his attention back to Professor McGonagall.

"I welcome all of you to Hogwarts. Whether you are new or old students I'm delighted that you are here. Now I do have a few announcements before we get to our wonderfully prepared feast. As quite a few of you are aware, seventh year students from last year will be attending for a new eighth year. This eight year will be open for anyone who wishes to take it until the first years this year become seventh years. Last year was quite horrible for everyone in the Wizarding World. That is why I want to make sure you all get the best education you can. We have prepared a room in the castle that all eighth years will be staying in since there aren't that many of you this year. This may be changed in the future but for now _all _eighth years of each house will be staying in this new found dormitory. Just so I'm clear, this is not a new house so you shall still be running for the house cup alongside your fellow housemates."  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all looked at one another. This was the first they had heard about this new arrangement.  
"Furthermore, we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year. I'd like you all to welcome Professor Dario Kane." Professor McGonagall motioned her hand to the teachers' table. A tall man stood up from the table and smiled at everyone. Harry narrowed his eyes and looked at his smile closely. It didn't seem like a smile you showed to people you planned to get along with. It almost made Harry think he was looking at them all and mocking them. The new professor was wearing a brown tweed suit and tie. Harry took in a sharp breath when the man looked straight at him and into his eyes.  
'No... He is just looking at all of his new students.' Harry thought, mentally hitting himself. He inspected the man some more, looking at his sand brown colored hair that was quite untidy. What caught Harry's attention the most was his eyes. They were a bright yet dull yellow that matched the color of his tie. Harry quickly pulled his eyes away and looked back at Headmistress McGonagall.  
"I think that about does it for tonight. I'll be seeing you all in class so be prepared. Let the feast begin!" She called out in her usual strict tone with a tinge of happiness.

They all looked at the empty table in front of them as food starting appearing from thin air. Harry silently thanked the House Elves that helped make all of this food. Plates filled up with roast beef, mince pies, green beans, steamed vegetables, hot rolls and almost anything you could imagine. Ron was ecstatic to see that there was chicken as he dug in, not holding back one bit. Everyone ate to their hearts' content until they all felt like their stomachs might burst. The dessert was just as good as the meal had been. Ice cream, pies, and candies were spread throughout the table. Once they were all finished and groaning in content and discomfort they all stood up. Prefects from each house called to their houses telling them to follow him or her. All of the eighth years just stood there, not sure where to go since they had no idea where this new dormitory was. "Eighth years! You are all to follow me to your new dorm." Professor Kane called from behind them in a smooth voice. Some of the girls giggled to themselves and Harry had to admit that his voice was rather mesmerizing. "Come now! We don't have all night." He said sharply as he walked through the crowd of eighth years. They all followed their new Professor curiously, with one Slytherin behind the rest. Harry couldn't help but notice that Malfoy was walking a few paces behind everyone else. The look on his face showed that he wasn't interested or at all happy with this. Harry turned back around and followed the professor. Suddenly the professor stopped right in front of a wall. Some of the students peered around him confused. Harry looked around and then suddenly snapped his head back to look at the wall. He knew where they were!

A door steadily materialized on the wall as they were all staring at it. "The Room of Requirement!" Hermione said in awe.  
"That's right, miss?" Professor Kane asked, looking at Hermione.  
A hint of a blush appeared on Hermione's face as she answered the professor. "Granger, sir." Professor Kane smiled and then turned back to the door, getting ready to open it. "This door has been told to only open for eighth years. All you have to do is think for a place to stay. It'll open right up for you." He said, opening the door and walking in. They all stepped inside the room and some of them gasped. The Room of Requirement looked better than ever. It didn't show any traces of having been brutally burned. Harry's body went rigid and he turned his head slightly to look at Malfoy who had turned even paler than normal. He was looking at the room in disbelief, memories of the day he lost one of his best friends most likely swirling through his head. "As you can see this room looks a lot like your old dormitories. The only thing that's majorly different is the placement of furniture and colors. We thought it best to clash all of your house colors to make all of you feel welcome." The professor said, his arms spread out to emphasize his point. He brought them back down and put them across his chest with an impish grin on his face. "I had been informed that there was an unfortunate accident in this room. What a shame." The professor now seemed to be staring straight at Malfoy who stared right back, a glint of fury in his eyes. Harry was the only one who dared to look at Malfoy. He noticed that his fists were clenched and shaking. The professor chuckled softly and then turned around motioning to two small staircases that lead up. "The left one is the boys' dormitory and the right is the girls'. Since there are so little of you we decided to make smaller rooms than you are used to. The rooms will be filled with two to three people in each. We tried to place you in your room by what house your in but some of you will have to get over it and stay in the same room. If you wish to know which room and whom you are becoming roomies with there is a notice on that there bulletin board." He pointed to a board that was put up to the right of the girls' staircase. "As you all should know by now, opposites genders are not allowed into each others dorms and you're bags are in your rooms, yada yada. See some of you tomorrow." The professor waved at them dismissively and then left the room.

All of the eighth years swarmed to the bulletin board to see who they were having to share a room with. Harry lingered back, not wanting to get caught in the fray. Ron came out of the mass of people and walked over to him. "We're not in the same room, mate!" He said, obviously disappointed.  
"Did you see who I am with?" Harry asked, wondering who he would be with.  
Ron shook his head. "No, I didn't look but I'm rooming with Neville and Seamus."  
Harry was now really curious. People were starting to disperse and head up to their rooms, some of them looking gloomier than others. Harry placed his index finger on the paper and traced it down until he found his name written down.

_Room 4  
Potter, Harry  
Malfoy, Draco_

Harry tensed up and walked back to where Ron stood, getting out of people's way. "Well? Who is your roommate?" He asked. Hermione walked over to them, hearing what Ron had said.  
"What? You two aren't rooming together?" Hermione looked at Harry shocked.  
Harry gulped and turned his head to look at Malfoy who was waiting for everyone to move so he could see what room he was in and who he was with. Malfoy saw Harry staring at him from the corner of his eye and turned to look at him. "What are you looking at, Potter?" Malfoy asked, displeasure lining his voice.  
Harry sighed, clenching his fists slightly. "My new roommate..."


End file.
